Shoe



Aug. 1, 1944. 1 s WQLFF 2,354,903 a SHOE F ned Sept. 18, 1942' 2 Sheets$haet 1 INVENTOR. SAMUEL WOLFF M I AT ORNEY Ali 1,1944. s. WOLF-F 2,354,903

SHOE Filed Sept. 18, 1942 2 sh ets-sneet 2 BY M TTORNEY Patented Aug. 1,1944

UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcs Samuel Wolii,-- Clayton, Mo.,

Shoe Manufacturing Company, Louis, 110., a corporation of Missouri mount assignor to Para- Application September 13,1942, Serial No. 458,813 4 Claims. (01. 36-195) The invention relates to shoe manufacture, and more particularly to the assembly of the upper and sole.

In the usual method of manufacturing shoes, an insole is prepared and provided with a fiber shank piece and is tacked onto the bottom of a last. The upper, with a large surplus marginal portion, is then applied over the top 01 the last and the assembly placed in a lasting machine which grips the marginal portion of the upper at opposite sides of the ball portion of the last and pulls the marginal portion over the bottom of .the last and several tacks are inserted through the insole into the last. These'tacks are not drivenhome. Y

The partially lasted shoe then goes to another machine where it is side lasted; that. is, the marginal portion of the upper at opposite sides of the shank portion of the last is gripped and pulled over the last and tacked'or stapledto the shank piece and insole. These fastening elements remain in the finished shoe.

The surplus marginal portion of the upper is then trimmed away and discarded. The lasted shoe is placed in a bed laster, a machine in which the assembly is clamped in position, the firstmentioned lasting tacks removed, cement applied to the marginal portions of the upper and these portions wipedover and pressed down on the insole. A cemented filler is then applied between the-marginal portions of the upper at opposite sides of the insole, and a pressing iron applied to the filler to set the cement. Thereafter the lasted shoe and the outer sole are secured to each other.

The present invention substitutes for the above-mentioned steps (prior to the securing of the lasted shoe to the outer sole) a comparatively simple, inexpensive process requiring less material and producing a shoeoi equal or superior quality.

One of the objects of the present invention is to avoid the wastage of the surplus marginal material in the original blank in which the finished upper is contained and also to avoid the material for and preparation of an insole, the tacks, stapies, etc. for securing the same and the upper to the last. and to avoid the filler andpreparation and application of the same prior to the securing of the lasted shoe to the outer sole.

Another object of the invention is to avoid the necessity of using theexpensive machinery required for the'lasting'. side lasting and bed lasting operations.

Another object of the invention is avoid so pulling the upper over the last with resulting stretching and wrinkling of the leather.

Another object of the invention is to produce a smooth, neat, finished appearance at the joint between the upper and the sole and to makethe adjacentportion of the shoe more flexible.

These general objects and other detailed obiects as will appear are attained by followingthe method and producing the shoe, described herein, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view of a fiat blank comprising the upper of an open toe, open back shoe, a marking mask being. superimposed thereon.

Figure 2 is a similar view of the socklining for the shoe and a marking mask thereon.

Figure 3 illustrates the assembling of the upper and socklining at the beginning of a stitching operation in which they are sewed together.

Figure 4 is avertical section through an upper and socklining taken transversely of the shoe after completion" of the stitching operation initiated as indicated in Figure 3.

Figures 5 and 6 are similar sections. showing the outer sole applied and are taken upon the corresponding section lines of Figure "I.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the finished shoe, portions being sectioned vertically and longitudinally to better illustrate the construction.

The upper l is'stamped or cut from a skin *in the usual manner except that the contour line 2 ,ofthe stamping is the edge of the upper in the finished shoe and no surplus material, exteriorly of the upper finish edge, is provided forlasting operations. An upper lining 4 of woven mercerized cotton, or other suitable material, is cemented to the upper, the edge oi! the lining, as indicated at 5, being spaced inwardly from the edge of the upper.

The upper, with the lining; uppermost, is laid fiat upon the worktable or bench and a marking mask 8 of heavy paper or other suitable material is laid over theupper and lining. The contour oi the mask is the same as that of the upper and the edge of the mask coincides with the edge of the upper. The mask has slots 1 spaced inwardly from its edge and accommodating the point of a marking pen or pencil (not shown) which is applied through the slots to the lined upper to mark lines la on the latter to be followed in subsequent stitching. I

Figure 2 shows the socklining 8 having a contour corresponding closely to, but slightly ex-- ceeding, that or the interior bottom or the an ished shoe, but the toe and heel of the socklining, abreast of the open parts of the shoe, include projecting portions 9 and I; respectively, which will be turned under at the time the sole is applied for a purpose described below.

. Ila indicating guide points to be placed in register witl similar guide points b on the upper when thi socklining and upper are assembled. The in! er face of the socklining is now applied to the inner face of the lined upper with the edge of the socklining lined up with the edge of the upper lining and the parts are inserted beneath the foot and needle of a straight-needle, flat-bed sewing machine, and the operator stitches through the upper and socklining beginning at the point X and continuing alongthe lines Ia marked on the inner face of the lined upper.- This flat stitching operation is continued to the point Y, the thread severed, and a similar line of stitching applied to the other marginal portion of the upper and edge of the socklining.

At the conclusion of this operation the transverse profile of the shoe, and particularly the crosssection through the vamp, will have been determined by the stitching of the socklining to the upper without use of a last, and no insole will have been required and there will have been no stretching or tacking of the leather. In other words, the transverse vertical contour of the shoe will have been determined solely by cutting and stitching operations similar to those in the tailor ing of a garment, such as the shaping of the shoulder by the cutting and stitching together of the yoke and the upper end of the sleeve.

After the above-described cutting and stitching operations are completed, a last is inserted between the'upper and the socklining, a shank stiffener I!) of fiber or other suitable material is cemented to the socklining, lines I3a serving to guide the operator in positioning the heel portion ofthe stiffener over the socklining.

The-Projecting portion ill of the socklining is cemented, turned under and secured to the underside of the shank stiffener. This eliminates the -necessity of placing a finishing binding over the shank stiffener to avoid exposure of the edge of the stiffener at Z in the-finished shoe. A toe reenforcement piece i1. (Figure 7) is cemented to the underside of the forward end of the sockunder the shank stiffener and heel piece and the sole cemented to the same.

- The shoe produced by the above-described steps is lighter in weight than a shoe provided with the usual insole and filler; the upper will be smooth and pliable where it is joined to the sole instead of being stiff and ridged, as in an ordiary shoe where the upper is turned over the edge of the insole and then the insole upper and outsoie stitched together; the shaping of the shoe portion formed by the upper is accom-- plished without any tendency to distort the leather, as might be present in the usual lasting and side lasting operations where the leather is gripped and pulled over the last; there are no tacks or staples or stitches projecting above the foot contacting portion of the sole -to be covered by the socklining or an insole; where the shoe is cut away, the exposed portions are smooth continuations of the socklining and are not formed by additional binding strips, as sometimes provided, nor are there exposed the cut edges of a socklining, an insole and other parts, as in some shoes made in the usual manner. Hence these features contribute to a better appearance of the shoe.

The marginal portion I8 (Figure 4) of the up- I per is then cemented, turned under and secured .to the underface of the socklining.

The single sole I8 is coated with cement and applied to the underfaceof the socklining and to the turnedunder portions of the upper and socklining, pressure being applied in an ordi- In addition, there is the reduction in cost by the elimination of the parts not used, the elimination of the expensive machinery required for the lasting and filler setting and ironing. The method eliminates the requirement for surplus materialbn the upper, which is required for the gripping elements of the lasting and side lasting operations. Hence a shoe of given quality may be produced more economically than heretofore.

It will be understood thatthose skilled in the art may vary some of the details of the shoe and that some of the features described may be utilized without necessarily including the other features, and the exclusive use of any and all of the novel features described herein and modifications thereof coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shoe, 2. socklining, an upper having its lower portion secured directly to the edge of the socklining immediately adjacent to the edge of the latter, the marginal portion of the upper extending beyond the securing line and being folded under, the upper having a restricted area of its lower portion cut away to provide an opening above the socklining, the corresponding part of the socklining having an extension foldedunder,

andan outer sole cemented directly 'to the underface of the socklining and to the underface of the folded under extension and to the underface of the folded under marginal part of the upper.

2. In a shoe, a socklining, an upper having its lower portion secured directly to the edge of the socklining immediately adjacent to the edge of the latter, the marginal portion of the upper extending beyond the securing line and being folded under, the upper'having at least a part of its toe portion cut away and the corresponding portion of the socklining having an extension folded under, and an outer sole cemented directly to the underface of the socklining and to the underface of the folded under extension of the sockto the socklining immediately adjacent to the edge of the latter, the marginal portion of the upper extending beyond the securing line and being folded under, and the rear part of the socklining extending rearwardly beyond and below said portions of the upper, a stifiener shank and heel piece applied directly to the under-face of the rear part'of the socklining, the socklining having a marginal portion turned under the heel piece, and a sole cemented directly to the forward portion of the socklining and to the shank and heel piece andto the turned under rear portion of the socklining, the portion of the socklining extending around the edge of the heel piece being exposed through the open back or the shoe.

4. In a shoe, a socklining and an upper, each being of flexible material too thin for lateral stitching, the socklining and upper being stitched together by through stitching extending in a line close to the edge of the socklining and spaced a substantially greater distance from the edge of the upper, the marginal portion 01 the upper outwardly beyond the line of stitching being turned under about the line of stitching as a fold line, and an outsole cemented direct to the soeklining and to the turned under portions of the upper from the line of stitching at one side of the shoe to the line of stitching at the other side 01 the shoe.

SAM WOIFF. 

